Airdrie, located on the Edmonton-Calgary transportation corridor with easy access to the east-west Stoney Trail connector, has become a user-friendly economic force in southern Alberta.

With zero business tax, one of the lowest municipal tax rates in Alberta and a motivated and helpful city economic development team, businesses are actively choosing to establish themselves in the growing and prosperous city of Airdrie.

Airdrie economic development team leader Kent Rupert says they have identified four key sectors for economic growth: transportation and logistics, professional services, advanced manufacturing and environmental industries.

In 2012, $428 million were invested in Airdrie and the population has seen an annual growth of 8.3 per cent over the last five years.

Boasting seven fully serviced business parks ready for development, Airdrie is positioning itself as a transportation and logistics hub.

The recent arrival of the 260,000-square-foot Costco regional distribution centre is a testament to the work of Airdrie’s economic development team and its targeted growth strategy.

“There has been a 12 per cent annual increase in business licences. Every new venture is supported with community services, resources and associations to help ensure success,” says Rupert “This is a very friendly city with a growing and affluent young population and a strong entrepreneurial spirit.”

Along with light industrial and logistics sector growth Airdrie has seen a surge of service, retail and professional growth to supports its population and active real-estate market.

Alicia Laurin and her family moved to Airdrie from Calgary three years ago and the exuberant owner of Cre8ive Ways in west Airdrie has just marked her one-year anniversary as a business owner.

Featuring handmade products by local artists, vintage pieces, upcycled furniture and children and adult crafting lessons, Laurin has been amazed by the level of community support for her store.

“It is such a different place here (compared to Calgary), everybody is friendly and everyone wants to help. My business is very family friendly and there are so many families here,” says Laurin.

“People like to support local businesses, at Christmas they supported small business before they went to the mall.”

According to local business owner John Papoutsakis of Sophies Pizza in Yankee Valley Crossing, expanding his business to Airdrie from Calgary made good business sense.

“It’s a growing community in the west area, with good demographics, and it was easier to deal with landlords.”

In Calgary the landlords prefer large national tenants and it is nearly impossible to get into a mall area, Papoutsakis says. Airdrie was a very different experience, with better lease rates and a city eager to help his Greek-styled pizza business is thriving.

“I would recommend this to businesses in Calgary, it is good for retail and they want to grow the city and are doing everything in their best efforts to do that,” says Papoutsakis.

Executive Director of the Airdrie Chamber of Commerce, Lorna Hunt, has lived in Airdrie her whole life and understands the positive support businesses receive and give to each other is a major factor in the success of the city.

“All the businesses in Airdrie want other businesses to be successful, and that is something that is noticed by people who come from other places. We are very enthusiastic here, we celebrate success with the businesses,” says Hunt.

There is more to Airdrie than just good business opportunities, a recent survey rates the quality of life in Airdrie at 92 per cent and safe communities at 97 per cent.

Laurin admits that after three years in Airdrie she would never go back to Calgary.

“I love it here. The housing prices were better, I got a bigger home for less money. It is a wonderful community, very family oriented with great schools and a terrific bunch of people that want to help each other,” says Laurin.

Based on resale numbers from December 2013, the average price for a single-family home in Airdrie was $379,000.00.

“It is about 20 per cent less per house in Airdrie depending on the product” says Rupert. “There is definitely a cost savings.”

It is a quick 15 minutes to the Calgary International Airport and 30 minutes to downtown explains Rupert.

“But it’s getting to the point that most people don’t have to leave Airdrie to find what they are looking for, we have everything here.”

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